Ch. 702                     LAWS OF MARYLAND

WHEREAS, Although Maryland is one of the wealthiest states,
ranking 6th in per capita income, its public assistance payments
rank only 27th in the nation; and

WHEREAS, A shortage of low-cost housing has been documented
in every jurisdiction in Maryland, and waiting lists for Section
8 and subsidized housing are discouragingly long; and

WHEREAS, Approximately one-fifth of homeless persons
receiving shelter in FY85 had been deinstitutionalized from a
variety of facilities (mental hospital, general hospitals,
nursing-homes, prisons) without a plan to provide them with
transitional housing or support services; and

WHEREAS, The 1984 General Assembly initiated legislation (HB
1415) to establish a State homeless service program — The
Shelter, Nutrition and Service Program for Homeless Individuals
in Maryland. Funds for the program, administered by the
Department of Human Resources, were acquired from State General
Funds and the bill provided $480,000 in FY85 and $502,000 in FY86
to expand and plan for services for the homeless; now, therefore,

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article 88A - Social Services Administration

132.

(a)  In this subtitle the following words have the meanings
indicated.

(b)  (1) "Homeless individual" means an individual who:

(i) Is in need of housing or emergency shelter
and proper nutrition;

(ii) Cannot be placed immediately in other
available housing, nutrition, and service programs; and

(iii) Is a resident of the State at the time
the application for housing is made.

(2) "Shelter, nutrition, and service program" means
facilities or programs that offer and provide services of food or
shelter and may include linkage to multiple service components,
centralized, decision making regarding placement, case management,
transportation, and follow-up services for homeless individuals.

133.

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